The Choral Art and Building Community

My family attended the centennial celebration for the tiny town of Gilman, Wisconsin (pop: 408) last week. A featured part of the celebration was a performance by the Gilman Community Choir (pop: 20, 9 men 11 women) If my community choir approached those kind of percentages I'd have 4,000 people in my choir. It was a precious moment of americana that made me proud of what we do. As composers we facilitate the communion of groups of people all around the world. When people gather to celebrate through song, we give them the means to connect with each other, celebrate life and to remember things and people that have passed beyond our reach. This is why I love singing in, directing, and composing for choirs. Quoting Nick Page, "Music is not an addition to life. Music is Life. "